Echternach Luxembourg and its Basilica museum

On one of my days from home in Germany near the Luxembourg border we decided to come to Echternach, I have been by here briefly before , but this time the whole family was in. Echternach is the basilica of Saint Willibrock.

It was easy for us as we just came from our village up the B51 up to Konz and then to Wasserbillig Luxembourg on the road N10 straight to Echternach. nice ride.

We came upon the old customs house and right afterward there was our parking at rue du pont right next to the Benedictine abbey that took us into city center at place du marché.

Here we came across the old justice palace done in the 13-14C and still in great condition, the city hall or hotel de ville is here. We came across the thing to come here, the Basilica of Saint Willibrock, with its Merovigien crypt with the tomb of the founder of the abbey. Portraits from the 11C, the basilica as we see it today dates from the 11C to 13C was damaged during the Battle of the Ardennes (Bulge WWII) and rebuilt in a neo roman style. The Crypt is from the Caroligian period and has remains of paintings on the walls. It house a great white marble sarcophagi containing the remains of Saint-Willibrord. You will find as well the fountain of St. Willibrord, the renaissance confessions and the stained glass windows. It is here that the famous International Festival of Echternach is held.

There is ,also, a museum of the abbey present the story of the abbey founded in 698AD, and house in the old abbey vaulted cellars. The museum has great decorative paintings in gold with the first letters of the Evangelism of great value; the beautiful facsimiles of work of such as the Codex Aureus Epternacensis or Codex Aureus Escorialensis. IN another section you can see a few remains of the work of Saint Willibrord,and ,also on his time and origins here; nice. http://web.cathol.lu/991/mouvements/oeuvre-saint-willibrord/st-willibrord-website-english/

A wonderful place du marché or market square to wandered and have lunch completes the day, but we had ours elsewhere this time. Enjoy Echternach a medieval looking complex right in the center of town, easy parking. Cheers